Qatar World Cup 2022 & Lusail City

The rather controversial 2022 World Cup will, if you didn’t already know (!) be held in Qatar. If you have ever visited Qatar during the summer months, you will see why this has puzzled many. Nonetheless, it has just been announced that the World Cup Final will be held on December 18^th in Lusail City at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. However, like most of Qatar’s future cities, it has yet to be built.

FIFA has just declared that the World Cup, in 7 years time, will be held in November & December 2022 – undoubtedly to avoid the blistering desert heat during the summer months. The location and now the timing of the world cup has sparked outrage amongst European football clubs and leagues due to scheduling conflicts and breaking of traditions. One thing that can be said for the 2022 World Cup… is that it won’t be traditional.

Lusail City: A Desert Metropolis?
The Qatari government is well under way with the plans, designs and even in some cases the construction of the unrivalled number of projects that will be undertaken in Qatar over the coming years. This article will look at one in particular – Lusail City. A government funded, city project that is being planned, designed and built by the real estate company, Qatari Diar. Undoubtedly, Lusail City is the companies most prestigious and important project. The eyes of the world will be on Qatar and specifically on the conclusion of the World Cup, during the final in Lusail.

Arguably the regions first ‘metropolis’, Lusail City will cost an estimated US$45 billion. With plans to be built before the World Cup was awarded to Qatar it has certainly been pushed forward after the successful bid. Containing 19 different districts within the 38 square mile city – this will be the landmark city for Qatar, alongside the more southern Doha, as the attentions of the East and West are cast onto the Middle Eastern gas rich country.

One of the most surprising elements to the cities master-plans is the amount of ‘green’ being planned. Trees and grass will make up villas and parks alongside the marina that will dock the world’s most luxurious yachts and skyscrapers that are immersed in the clouds – the plans look fantastic.

What Does the Qatar World Cup in 2022 Mean for the Expatriate Construction Professional?
Qatari Diar plan that Lusail City will house upwards of 450,000 residents by the time it opens in 2020. This is currently double the nations total population. Expected increases in expatriate numbers relocating to Qatar for work on these World Cup influenced projects is high.  Specific stadium projects such as Lusail Iconic Stadium will attract structural steel construction managers & project managers who have worked on stadia previously, especially FIFA projects such as recently in Brazil 2014 World Cup or England’s iconic Wembley stadium. With the eyes of the world on Qatar in their highly controversial but successful bid to host the World Cup, attention has been drawn to health and safety concerns in the region and this will provide an abundance of opportunities for expatriate construction H&S Managers who have worked in the region already, but also worldwide, as the Qatari government, the contractors and the property developers look to exemplify the care they take when building. The enormous scale of Lusail City will give rise to all type of opportunities for planners, build and civil designers, mixed-use development project directors, high end housing construction managers, directors of engineering for hospitality projects… the list goes on.

If you’re considering a move to work in the Middle East or if you are already located in the Middle East, there are hundreds of expatriate roles that are available now in Qatar, with many more new roles coming available during 2015 and 2016. Please send your CV to us via the Maxim Recruitment website and register for free job alerts for your area of expertise relating to Qatar or the country of your first preference.

Good luck!
Richard Poulter
Maxim Recruitment
Middle East & Asia Regions